Bhopal: Polling concluded in six constituencies on Friday in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Of the 29 parliamentary constituencies in the BJP-ruled state, Shahdol, Mandla (both reserved for Scheduled Tribes), Jabalpur, Balaghat, Chhindwara, and Sidhi voted in the first phase today. Altogether, these constituencies cover 13 districts and 27 assembly segments.
Voting commenced at 7 AM and ended at 6 PM. Due to security reasons, polling was slated from 7 AM to 4 PM in the Baihar, Lanji, and Paraswada assembly segments of the Naxal-affected Balaghat constituency, the state's chief electoral officer, Anupam Rajan, told reporters.
As many as 88 candidates -- 81 men and 7 women -- were in the fray across the six constituencies. Jabalpur had the highest 19 candidates while Shadold had the lowest ten candidates in the fray. As many as 13,588 polling booths were set up in the state. The total number of registered voters in the six constituencies was 1,13,09, 636 (57,20,780 male, 55,88,669 female and 187 third gender).
Arrangements for shelter, water and ORS (oral rehydration solution) were made at polling booths in view of the hot weather. A helicopter was stationed in the Naxal-hit Balaghat district while an air ambulance is also available in Jabalpur to meet any eventuality.
As many as 192 flying squad teams and 233 Static Surveillance Teams were deployed across the six constituencies. The election commission wanted maximum turn-out at polling booths. Workers who migrated to different metropolitan cities returned to their native land to cast votes and be a part of the democratic process.
To increase the percentage, the district administration had been trying its best to invite the same migrant labourers back home during the election phases.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh in the previous Lok Sabha elections of 2019. The only seat the BJP lost was Chhindwara, which is home to Congress stalwart and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath, whose son Nakul emerged victorious.
The Congress's main contenders, whose fates would be determined on Friday, are Omkar Markam, the general secretary of the venerable party's state branch, and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath. From Mandla, the latter will contest.
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The voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh was recorded at 63.33 per cent till 7 PM, as per the date provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI). - 4.00 PM
BJP candidate from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat Shivraj Singh Chouhan filed his nomination for Lok Sabha polls 2024 and said, "It is my good fortune that I have got the opportunity to work for this area again. This area is my family... The people here are giving me blessings. I will work for these people." - 3.48 PM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed confidence over winning all 29 parliamentary seats in the state in Lok Sabha elections saying they won 27 seats in 2014, and 28 seats in 2019 and this time would win all 29 seats. "The first phase of polling is going on across the country and all voters are exercising their franchise. I am happy that over 1.09 crore voters are voting in six Lok Sabha seats in our state -Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat and Chhindwara. According to the information I have received, more than 30% of votes have been cast so far," he added. - 3.00 PM
The voter turnout as of now is 53.40 per cent. - 2.34 PM
"BJP government is making our defence forces self-reliant; India exporting weapons to many countries," the PM added. - 2.31 PM
PM Modi alleged that Congress weakened India's defence sector for decades; they wanted Rafale fighter jets not to come to India. - 2.28 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh and said that this Lok Sabha election is about making India a big power in the world in the next five years. 'In last few years, we have seen how a stable government works; we gave crores of Indians free food and vaccines,' he added. - 1.46 PM
Citizens cast their vote across 2322 polling stations in the Balaghat Seoni Parliamentary Seat. As of now, 52.8 per cent of voting has taken place in the district. No violence has been reported yet. Voting is being carried out peacefully. - 12.23 PM
Heating up the political atmosphere amid the first phase of polls, a video was released in which Chhindwara Mayor, Vikram Ahake, was seen appealing to the people to vote for Nakulnath, son of former chief minister Kamalnath. In the video, Vikram said that recently he had joined a party, and has been feeling suffocated since then. - 11.25 AM
Former MP and former cabinet minister Gyan Singh cast his vote with his wife at the polling booth Kohka in Umaria of Shahdol parliamentary constituency. After casting his vote, he appealed to the citizens to participate in the great festival of democracy. - 11.01 AM
A major chunk of the population in Rampur and Padaria have also boycotted voting. It is alleged that South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) did not provide jobs to the villagers along with compensation. The villagers complained to the administration several times regarding this, but in vain as they received no support. Angry and frustrated, the villagers have not cast their votes here yet. - 10.40 AM
News of a boycott of elections at several spots in the Shahdol district has come in. People voted in the Godin village of Burhar district but they are angry over the bridge not being built on the Chaudar drain. In light of this, as many as 77 people boycotted voting in Gram Panchayat Khamhidol as they were furious over the lack of roads in the area. They have voiced their protest saying if there is no road, there is no vote. - 10.34 AM
In the state's assembly elections held in November 2023, 77.82 per cent of voter turnout was observed. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the state's vote percentage was 61.57 per cent.
In the general elections of 2019, the proportion increased to 71.16. - The state's remaining 23 Lok Sabha seats will be up for election in three more phases on April 26, May 7, and May 13. The BJP, which is currently in power, secured 28 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and is now targeting the Congress-won seat of Chhindwara.
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Son of former chief minister Kamalnath, Nakulnath, a Congress contender from the Chhindwara constituency, cast his ballot with his family. He used X to post its photos. - 9.35 AM
Voter turnout as of now is 14.12 per cent in the state. - 9.15 AM
A bag with the claw marks of Congress was discovered at a Chhindwara voting booth. After an investigation, the police officer who was present there seized it. No information is available about the origin of this bag. - 8.42 AM
The second, third and fourth phases of the elections in MP will take place on April 26, May 7 and May 13. In 2019, the BJP had won 28 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats while the Congress had managed to win only one seat -- Chhindwara. - 8.42 AM
A 79-year-old woman came to cast her vote in a wheelchair - 8.37 AM
MP CM Mohan Bhagwat appealed to the people to cast their votes on time and fulfil their duties on time. "Voting is not only a right, it is a sacred duty. Kindly play your important role in the development of the country," he added. - 8.10 AM
Former CM Kamal Nath shows his inked finger after casting his vote in the first phase. Kamal Nath's son Nakulnath is contesting elections from the Chhindwara seat on a Congress ticket. - 8.05 AM
I fully trust the people of Chhindwara, declared Kamal Nath, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and leader of the Congress. I sincerely hope they will uphold the truth, he said. Nakul Nath, his son who is also a Congress leader, is running for the Lok Sabha seat from Chhindwara. - 7.44 AM
Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath says, "I have full faith in the people of Chhindwara. I have full hope that they will stand by the truth." Notably, his son and Congress leader Nakul Nath is contesting from Chhindwara constituency. (With ANI Inputs) - 7.00 AM
The first phase of voting in the six constituencies begins. - 6.55 AM
There are a total of 1774484 voters in Parliamentary Constituency-12 Shahdol, of whom 899911 are men, 874553 are women, and 20 are other voters.
